Field
Embodiments described herein generally relate to semiconductor manufacturing and more particularly to protecting processing equipment from corrosion and contamination.
Description of the Related Art
During the manufacture of semiconductor devices, a substrate may undergo many operations in a variety of processing chambers for the purpose of forming material layers and features suitable for an end use. For example, the substrate may undergo several depositions, annealing, and etching operations, among other operations. The processing chambers are formed from a variety of components formed from aluminum containing compounds, steel containing compounds, nickel containing compounds, among other compounds. These compounds may additionally contain chromium, titanium and molybdenum among other materials.
Device miniaturization has made small dimensions for device patterns formed in a film layer of the substrate more critical. Achieving the critical dimensions in the substrate begins with a good quality film layer having good adhesion to the underlying film layers in the substrate. The processing equipment minimalizes contamination in the chamber environment from affecting or forming on the substrates to achieve good quality films.
Complete disassociation of the process gases when forming plasma enhances the quality of films deposited on the substrate. Using high temperatures provides more complete disassociation of the process gases and also provides strong adhesion of the high quality film on the substrate. However, during continuous operation of the processing chamber, the corrosive agents in the chamber attack the chamber components and generate residual particles which increase the concentration of contamination in the interior volume of the processes chamber. Over time, the concentration of the residual particles in the interior volume of the processing chamber trend upward. The residual particles in the deposition environment eventually find its way into the films deposited on the substrate and undesirably contribute to process contamination and process skew. To prevent process contamination and process skew, the processing chamber environment may require monitoring and periodic cleaning.
Therefore, there is a need for improved chamber components.